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California's Questionable Dropout Rate
Capital Ideas
By: Lance T. Izumi, J.D.
9.23.1998
For a number of years now, the Pacific Research Institute (PRI) has been concerned about the reliability and validity of the state dropout figures issued by the California Department of Education (CDE). In PRI’s California Index of Leading Education Indicators, we noted that from 1986 to 1995, CDE figures showed the dropout rate falling from 25 percent to 13.5 percent. The Index noted, however, that under the CDE method of calculating the dropout rate, tens of thousands of students who dropped out of school were never counted as dropouts. Indeed, if one compared the number of students in California who enrolled in the ninth grade with the number of students graduating from high school four years later (the graduation rate), one would find that approximately one third of those ninth graders never graduated.
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The Long View
Capital Ideas
By: Steven F. Hayward, Ph.D
9.15.1998
In one of those little coincidences that makes satire difficult, last Friday morning, while the world was awaiting the release of the Starr report over government Internet sites, a House subcommittee on telecommunications was holding a hearing about online smut. Not even a third-rate comic novelist would try this if she were making up a story.
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Teacher Union Pets and Two-Edged Swords
Capital Ideas
By: K. Lloyd Billingsley
9.8.1998
When given the chance to have their say with a ballot measure, California citizens have let it be known that they don’t like government racial preferences nor bilingual education. Long out of step with the vox populi, political liberals have looked to unelected judges as a robed politburo to implement their policies by judicial fiat. But now liberals are learning that this trick cuts both ways.
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State Takeover of Schools
Capital Ideas
By: Lance T. Izumi, J.D.
9.1.1998
At the recent gubernatorial debate between Dan Lungren and Gray Davis, the most interesting comment of the night was not uttered on stage but during the press availability after the debate’s conclusion. When pressed about school-choice vouchers/opportunity scholarships, Lt. Governor Davis, who advocates state takeover of low-performing public schools, told reporters that if a state takeover failed to improve student achievement, "I’m open to anything. . . including vouchers." An amazing concession from someone who has been implacably opposed to school choice.
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Words to Live By
The Contrarian
By: Katherine Post
9.1.1998
During a recent A&E special, an interviewer asked former President George Bush how he hoped his term would be remembered. After a pause, Bush said, "I hope they think we did it with honor." It was such a simple wish and yet it rang as unfamiliar, even anachronistic.
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